They say a picture tells a thousand words. But tonight, as I look through the photos I've taken in the past several months (and posted online: www.picasaweb.google.com/smechtenberg), I'm afraid that my pictures really don't even begin to tell the full story of our students here at the College.
Behind the the smiles, the pensive looks, the posed group shots, and the beautiful faces are the stories of awe-inspiring young people who have, and continue to, amaze me as they beat incredible odds. Each picture, each face, each name has an extraordinary story to tell...and there are so many!
I see the face of Alvaro who, his first year at the College, gave up his coveted spot in the food cooperative because he realized that one of his classmates, who wasn't eating, needed it more.
I see the face of Christina, a confident, tough (she plays futsol barefoot!) young woman who, when her mother died unexpectedly in a car accident four years ago, moved off campus to raise her two younger brothers while continuing her studies at the UAC-CP.
I see the face of Andrez, an agronomy graduate, whose wisdom, insight, idealism and commitment to fulfilling the mission of the UAC-CP both humbles and inspires me.
I see the faces of young men and women that I feel so fortunate to know and wish others could know them, as well.
A few of the faces I've photographed and posted online in the past few months...
UAC-CP Agronomy graduates Hector Espejo, Vladimir Torrez, and Aldo Estevez. We recently had lunch (and shared many laughs) at one of the Campus Leahy food kiosks.
UAC-CP agronomy student William Nova is working on his thesis. William is from the Afro-Bolivian community of Tocaña, located approximately 15 km from Coroico.
Rosa Quisbert is an eighth semester education student at the UAC-CP. Her parents own a small store in Coroico. Formerly one of my very shy students in the Pre-University program, Rosa is now an outgoing, vibrant young woman.
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